Get a small business phone system with hold music

Deliver an on-brand customer experience with custom hold music in Quo’s business phone system. Play custom music tracks or promotional messages that keep customers engaged. With Quo, you can also easily provide a professional phone presence and ensure you never miss a call again.

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What is hold music?

Hold music is the audio that plays for callers when they’ve been put on hold. It’s a feature also known as music on hold.

If you use a business phone platform, you can customize your hold music to go beyond a background music track. You can provide product tips, promotional messages, or on-brand announcements to your customers. That way, you can keep them from tuning out or hanging up while they’re waiting to speak to your team. 

Not every VoIP provider gives you the option to add custom hold music. However, Quo offers custom hold music on every plan. Choose a track from the existing library or upload your own custom tracks. You don’t need to have any technical expertise or special equipment. You can also change your hold music track at any time. 

Benefits of hold music

Increase customer engagement

Engaging hold music can improve your caller experience. Repetitive tracks can cause them to hang up more frequently.

Provide timely information

Let customers know what’s new with your business. Share upcoming promotions or helpful emergency messages with them.

Educate customers about your products

Ensure customers are getting the most out of your products and services. Provide helpful product tips they might find useful.

How to set up hold music in Quo

  1. Go to Phone numbers, then select a number.
  2. Scroll to Hold music.
  3. Choose an option:
    • Select one of our existing music tracks
    • Upload a custom music file
  4. Click Play to preview the audio.
  5. Select the radio button to activate your choice. Your hold music goes live immediately.

Keep in mind, our supported audio file formats are MP3 and WAV. For best results, use MP3 format with standard bitrates (128–192 kbps).

Setup is available on web and desktop only. Once enabled, the music-on-hold feature applies to all callers you place on hold.

Get started with Quo in three simple steps

  1. Create a Quo account and try out the platform for free for seven days.
  2. Launch the Quo web, desktop, or mobile app.
  3. Import your contacts and invite your teammates to your account.

That’s it! Start calling your contacts right away.

A phone call is displayed on a screen.A conversation between two people on a messaging app.

All the phone features your business needs

Port your existing numbers for free

Move numbers from your previous provider easily

Phone menus

Automatically route calls to the right person or team

Business caller ID

Give customers a heads-up when you call

Ring order

Control who receives incoming calls on your team

Call quality metrics

See what’s affecting your calls in real time

Third-party integrations

Share your call and message logs where you need them

“We're so confident in saying, 'Hey everybody, just get on Quo. Save yourself the time, save yourself the hassle.’"

Carter Smith

Co-founder, Pink’s Windows

Frequently asked questions

Can’t find the answer here? Check out our Help Center.

How does music on hold help with customer engagement?

Music on hold helps with customer engagement in the following ways:

  1. Active call reminders: When customers are waiting to speak with you and they don’t hear your hold music, they might think that a call has ended. Playing hold music reminds them to stay on the phone line.
  2. Product education: Hold music is a useful product education strategy for small businesses. Your team can provide useful product tips so that customers find value even while they’re waiting to speak to you.
  3. Promotions: With hold music playback, you can keep customers informed of product and service launches.
Can I customize my hold music?

Yes, you can customize your hold music in Quo. You can choose from our existing music options or upload a custom recording. Virtual phone systems like Quo make it easy to change your hold music at any time.

What are some best practices for selecting hold music?

Here are a few best practices to keep in mind when you’re selecting your hold music:

  • On-brand music: Choose a music genre that aligns with your business. For example, if you’re a law firm, you probably shouldn’t use ‘70s disco for your hold music track. 
  • Royalty-free music: Choose a music track that you are allowed to use for commercial purposes. Check out music libraries like Musicbed or Epidemic Sound to find royalty-free tracks. 
  • 70/30 split: Keep a split of 70% music and 30% messages in your hold music tracks. This way, you can provide targeted messages to callers while they’re on hold. 
  • Keep hold times short: Call holds aren’t meant for long waits. Keep your hold times as short as possible. If you can’t speak with a customer immediately, offer to connect them to voicemail or direct them to your answering service. 
What happens when a call is put on hold?

When you put a call on hold, your call participants listen to your hold music until you resume your call. 

Can I put an individual call participant in a group call on hold?

Yes, you can put an individual call participant on hold during a group call:

  • During an active call, click the Hold button ⏸️
  • The caller hears hold music or on-hold messaging while you’re away
  • Click the Hold button again to resume
Can I put a group call on hold?

Yes, you can put a group call, also known as three-way calling, on hold in Quo. Here’s how:

  • Click the put call on hold button at the bottom of the call controls
  • All external callers are placed on hold simultaneously
  • Click put call on hold again to resume with all participants
Can I change my hold music later?

You can change your hold music at any time in the Quo web or desktop apps.